Chris Romer's long, strange trip ends with passage of HB 1284

Chris Romer's "long, strange trip" is almost over. The state senator who last fall decided to take on the task of shepherding legislation through the Statehouse that defines and regulates this state's booming medical marijuana industry saw House Bill 1284 pass the Senate yesterday, 26-9, with a major bipartisan push.

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It's all over but the shouting -- and there will still be plenty of that as the bill goes back to the House, which must approve the numerous amendments made after it left that body. Among them is one that makes the addresses of grow operations confidential. From there, it's on to Governor Bill Ritter's desk -- and, from what we hear, likely a court battle. But Romer won't be along for that part of the ride.

Patricia Calhoun co-founded Westword in 1977; she’s been the editor ever since. She’s a regular on the weekly CPT12 roundtable Colorado Inside Out, played a real journalist in John Sayles’s Silver City, once interviewed President Bill Clinton while wearing flip-flops, and has been honored with numerous national awards for her columns and feature-writing.